Lyft is Uber’s top competitor in the United States.
As such, it’s only natural to wonder whether Lyft provides a food delivery service that competes with Uber Eats.
Here is all you need to know about Lyft food delivery, whether it exists, and how to use it.
Table Of Contents
Does Lyft Do Food Delivery?
Not quite.
Lyft does not provide a food delivery service to Lyft users.
It does not have any service that competes with Uber Eats.
On the other hand, if you are a Lyft driver, you can make money delivering food from a local restaurant or pharmacy.
As a Lyft driver, you can sign up for Lyft Delivery, complete the Lyft Deliveries course, and start accepting orders.
Those orders will show up in your app in addition to regular rides, and you can opt out of delivery orders and only take passengers again at any time.
The orders are not placed through Lyft directly, as Lyft does not have a consumer-facing platform like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and other food delivery platforms.
Instead, Lyft drivers can pick up orders placed directly with pharmacies, restaurants, retail stores, and even car dealerships.
That is made possible through Lyft’s partnership with Olo and its integration into Olo’s Dispatch service.
Dispatch is a service that matches restaurants, retail stores, and other shops with drivers from various sources.
Once a restaurant that uses Dispatch gets an order on its website or app, the software will send the order to qualified drivers on several platforms.
These include Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Lyft.
It works with regular Lyft drivers who have opted to join Lyft’s delivery program.
Restaurants can thus provide a delivery service on their terms (without needing to sign up for an Uber Eats account) and enjoy a larger network of delivery drivers than they would on any single app.
Suggested: If you like Lyft Delivery, we’d suggest also checking out Uber Pharmacy delivery
Will Lyft Get Into Food Delivery in the Future?
While Lyft has gotten into the food delivery industry through its integration with Olo, it currently has no plans to create an app or platform where Lyft customers can order food through Lyft.
In a statement, Justin Paris, head of Lyft Delivery, stated, “As a transportation-focused company, we aren’t interested in building consumer-facing marketplaces for groceries or food.”
Of course, it’s impossible to know what the future will hold.
At some point, Lyft may decide that it needs such a consumer-facing marketplace to properly compete with Uber.
However, if Lyft is planning something like that, they’re not disclosing those plans to the public.
About Lyft Delivery
If you haven’t heard about Lyft Delivery, that’s because it is still relatively new.
Lyft has been testing its luck in the delivery industry since 2020, when it launched Essential Deliveries, working with brands like Dole Packaged Foods and bringing meals to students and senior care facilities.
Now, with Lyft’s Olo partnership, drivers have even more opportunities to earn with deliveries.
What Is Lyft Delivery?
If you’re a Lyft user, you can forget about Lyft Delivery – it’s not relevant to you in any way.
There’s no way to order food or groceries on the Lyft app.
However, if you are a driver, you can deliver packages from restaurants and stores across the country.
Lyft is essentially outsourcing its rideshare drivers to also work as delivery drivers on the Olo Dispatch network.
However, drivers do not need to sign up for any additional apps.
Once they opt into the Lyft Delivery program, they can accept delivery orders straight from the Lyft app.
What Does Lyft Delivery Offer?
Lyft Delivery offers drivers a way to make extra income with additional driving opportunities.
However, keep in mind that as a driver, you cannot opt out of passenger ridesharing requests and receive only delivery jobs.
You are also not guaranteed to receive delivery jobs, as availability varies based on demand.
How Does Lyft Delivery Work?
As a driver, you can sign up for Lyft Deliveries here.
You will need to complete a short course.
Then, you can start accepting delivery requests.
Delivery orders will be marked as “Delivery.”
You will be able to see your earnings and ride details upfront.
Delivery earnings are fixed, and you will get the amount stated upfront even if the job turns out to be shorter than expected.
You will get instructions for picking up the package, but you can also call the restaurant or store for help.
Once you pick up the order, drop it off at the customer’s address and take a picture to confirm delivery.
If there is an issue, and you can’t pick up or drop off the order, you may be able to cancel it.
You can opt out of the Lyft Delivery program at any time.
Where Is Lyft Delivery Available?
Lyft Delivery is available in most of the United States, especially major cities like Dallas, San Francisco, and San Diego.
However, availability can change at any time.
Lyft Food Delivery Projections
While Lyft has broken into the food delivery industry through its Olo partnership, it has no plans to start a food delivery app itself.
Lyft doesn’t foresee a need for this right now.
On the contrary, according to co-founder John Zimmer, Lyft expects food delivery drivers to shift towards ridesharing at this stage in the pandemic.
When the pandemic started, many people started working for Uber Eats and DoorDash as a way to make some extra cash.
The problem is that food delivery apps generally pay less than ridesharing apps.
Furthermore, it lacks the social interaction aspect, which many people have missed over the past year or two.
Many drivers are now vaccinated as well.
As such, Zimmer expects more Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash drivers to start working for Lyft or other ridesharing apps, which could help solve Lyft’s driver shortage.
Final Thoughts
There have been a lot of misconceptions about Lyft Delivery, with some customers looking for the “Delivery” section on the Lyft app, even though it doesn’t exist.
Hopefully, this article has cleared up any misunderstandings you may have had about this program.
